Conference focuses on integrating technology

Jan. 27, 2005

KALAMAZOO--Finding better ways of integrating technology into
school curricula will be the focus of the 2005 Michigan Association
for Computer Users in Learning Conference Wednesday through Friday,
March 16-18, at Cobo Center in Detroit.

The annual MACUL event, now it its 29th year, is one of the
Midwest's largest educational technology conferences. Last year,
the event attracted more than 2,700 people from the United States
and Canada, including teachers, administrators, school board
members, technology coordinators and media specialists as well
as members of the public.

The 2005 MACUL Conference, "Integrate Technology...Ignite
Learning!," will feature nationally recognized speakers,
special events, student technology projects, and more than 250
workshops and informational sessions on best practices and trends
in educational technology.

It is being coordinated by MACUL and arranged by Western Michigan
University's Conferences and Seminars office. Renard Baldwin,
director of technology for the St. Joseph (Mich.) Public Schools,
is serving as chairperson for the event.

The Freedom to Learn strand is new this year. It was added
to provide insights about Michigan's Freedom to Learn program,
which was launched in 2003. The initiative seeks to improve student
achievement in core academic subjects by providing students with
access to 21st Century learning tools. It is jointly administered
by the Michigan Department of Education and Michigan Virtual
University with the assistance of a statewide advisory group.

The program has created one-to-one environments in which 20,000
students are learning "with" rather than "about"
computers. In addition, it is helping to bridge the digital divide
by expanding technology opportunities for students, especially
those in rural and high-priority schools.

The conference's opening keynote address, "What Technology
Can Do to Make It Easier: A Brief Look at What Makes It into
the Future," will be given at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, March
17, by public television executive Hall Davidson. Davidson, who
acknowledges that schools may sometimes be seduced into technologies
that have no effect on learning, will address what it takes for
technologies to succeed in K-16 educational environments.

He is a former language and mathematics teacher, taught secondary
mathematics on a television program that won an Emmy award, and
now is educational services director for KOCE-TV, Orange County
California's public broadcasting station. Davidson also is executive
director of Telecommunications of Orange County, a media consortium
serving 200,000 students, and director of the California Student
Media and Multimedia Festival.

A closing keynote address, "The New, New Thing,"
will be given at 2:30 p.m. Friday, March 18, by education technology
leader and pioneer Rem Jackson. Jackson will present a fast-paced,
entertaining look at how educators can beat the odds and create
an explosion of hi-tech creativity at their schools.

He frequently speaks on how educators can effectively and
appropriately infuse technology into K-12 education and is a
founding member of the nationwide company Classroom Connect.
The company helps school districts increase their level of technology
integration and develop custom professional development programs
for their teachers.

The 2005 MACUL Conference will include an Autonomous Robotics
Competition from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, during which
students in grades three through eight will compete to accomplish
robotics missions that emulate real-world tasks. From 11 a.m.
to 1 p.m. the same day, other student teams will participate
in a Student Technology Showcase that will spotlight some of
Michigan's best examples of how technology is being integrated
into the curriculum.

The conference also will feature a three-day exhibition of
some of the best teaching and learning hardware, software and
peripherals available today. The exhibition will be open to the
public for a $10 charge from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, 9:30
a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday. It
will highlight more than 200 technology-related exhibitors.

The cost to attend the MACUL Conference is $170. After Feb.
21, a $30 late fee will be assessed. Special rates are available
for students as well as those who do not wish to attend the full
conference. Registrations are being accepted online and by fax.

For more information, call (517) 694-9756 or visit the Web
site at <www.macul.org>.